Sign or Fine: Each NFL Player Currently Holding out

As we saw with Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson in 2011, holding out can be costly for a team's playoff odds. Heading into the 2012 season, 21 players were hit with the franchise tag but 10 remain unsigned.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is obviously the biggest name on the list, and his ability to orchestrate the New Orleans offense is crucial to the success in the Big Easy. Despite the bounty scandal, Brees runs that team and without him the Saints will be fortunate to finish near .500.

Before we get more into Brees though, let's check out other players holding out and whether or not teams should offer a better deal to sign them.

Ray Rice: RB, Baltimore Ravens

Rice is the focal point of the Ravens' offense. His ability to run the rock inside and out keeps a defense moving while later in games the play-action pass becomes more dangerous.

Speedy receiver Torrey Smith can burn any secondary downfield, but without Joe Flacco having time to set up in the pocket, the passing game becomes obsolete. And according to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, Rice isn't expected to sign any time soon:

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The Ravens have continued to hold a dialogue with Rice's agent, Todd France. Meanwhile, Rice has yet to sign his $7.742 million franchise tender and isn't planning to report to offseason workouts and practices until a new deal is negotiated.

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Although rookie ball-carrier Bernard Pierce has a great amount of potential, the Ravens desperately need Rice to help them contend for the AFC. Without him defenses will be more aggressive and prevent Baltimore from establishing a balanced attack to control the game tempo.

SIGN

Matt Forte: RB, Chicago Bears

Much like Ray Rice, Matt Forte has been the focus his offense and the Bears' success was predicated off that production.

Forte undoubtedly has put up impressive numbers, averaging about 1,500 total yards through his first four years. The bad news for Forte though, is that Michael Bush has awesome potential to take over as the No. 1 running back. Include Forte's 2011 season getting cut short and the proverbial leverage is against him.

Optimistically though, quarterback Jay Cutler told Sean Jensen of The Chicago Sun-Times that he's not concerned at the moment:

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"Maybe they get a deal, maybe they don’t," Cutler said. "But at the end of the day, we’ll have him the first game. I rest easy at night knowing that Matt is a true professional and he’s going to come in and he’s not going to miss a beat."

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If Forte does get aboard, the Bears will have one of the NFL's best two-back tandems. If not, Bush will just get more carries and after a strong 2011 in taking over for Darren McFadden in Oakland, Chicago's offense won't slow down either way.

FINE

Matt Prater: Kicker, Denver Broncos

Matt Prater can be considered the biggest reason for Tebowmania lasting as long as it did. The man connected on numerous deep field-goals that put the Broncos on top in many close games.

Even with an improved offense and defense, Denver needs Prater as a rough 2012 schedule awaits. Unfortunately, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post, Prater remains unsigned:

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Only the June 12-14 minicamp is mandatory, although Prater is currently not under contract because he has not signed his franchise tag tender.

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Denver has to figure out a way to get Prater back, because the man has a leg that can boot it from nearly 60 yards on a consistent basis. Despite Peyton Manning at the helm, the Broncos will see tough situations on whether to punt or attempt the long ball.

And if Prater is not available to attempt, Denver could lose a few close games that ultimately cost the Broncos later in the year.

SIGN

Cliff Avril: DE, Detroit Lions

One of the better all-around defenders in the NFC, Cliff Avril is a key player for the Lions to remain legit NFC playoff contenders. At this point however, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press, Avril has yet to budge:

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Avril and the Lions remain at an impasse in contract talks. He is sitting out the team's off-season program and working out privately at Total Performance Training Center in Wixom.

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Albeit improving in 2011 with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles, Avril's numbers have gone overlooked as the Lions ranked No. 22 against the pass and No. 23 against the rush. That said, Detroit has to have Avril rushing off the edge in 2012 as the secondary made a solid addition in rookie Dwight Bentley.

Applying a constant pass rush is needed for the Lions to challenge for the division and Avril's absence significantly diminishes that area.

SIGN

Josh Scobee: Kicker, Jacksonville Jaguars

Josh Scobee was a clutch kicker for Jacksonville last season as he connected on 92 percent of his attempts and knocked 14 down from 40-plus yards. In even worse news for Jaguars fans, running back Maurice Jones-Drew remains out along with Scobee according to Tania Ganguli of The Florida Times-Union:

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Maurice Jones-Drew and Josh Scobee won't be there for Jacksonville's voluntary workouts. This shouldn't be a surprise since neither player has participated in the Jaguars voluntary offseason workouts yet.

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The difference between the two lies in the importance of each position. If Jacksonville gets Scobee aboard but not MJD, the Jaguars will rarely move the rock as their offense is built around the ground game. However, if the Jags get Jones-Drew aboard and not Scobee, the improved offense will score more touchdowns than attempt field-goals.

In short, Jacksonville can't score without MJD, and his production is what allows Scobee to see continuous scoring opportunities.

FINE

Dwayne Bowe: WR, Kansas City Chiefs

If you take Dwayne Bowe out of the Kansas City receiving corps, the Chiefs' passing game isn't much of a threat. Dexter McCluster is that hybrid running back, receiver and return man while Steve Breaston is a reliable No. 2 guy, not a true No. 1 target.

K.C. is also a run-oriented offense with Jamaal Charles so the play-action pass is a big part of presenting a balanced attack. Before the draft, Bowe wasn't expected to sign his tender according to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.

Considering the defensive improvements in the AFC West like Tracy Porter in Denver and Melvin Ingram to San Diego, the Chiefs fall way back without Bowe out wide. His presence can stretch defenses and draw the occasional double-team. Without him, K.C.'s offense will be one-dimensional.

SIGN

Dashon Goldson: Safety, San Francisco 49ers

It's not the best of news to hear if you a 49ers' fan, but at least the team has a lot of talent elsewhere. According to Mindi Bach of CSN Bay Area, San Francisco safety Dashon Goldson is keeping his distance from the organization:

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CSNBayArea.com has learned from a source close to the situation that the 49ers' franchise player has no immediate plans to visit the Bay Area or sign his tender. Goldson continues to work out in the Los Angeles area.

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Last season, San Francisco was susceptible against the pass by allowing 231 pass yards per game. The front seven is where the damage is done because of players like Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, NaVorro Bowman, Ray McDonald and Aldon Smith.

With Donte Whitner and Carlos Rogers to keep locking down in the secondary, Goldson is only hurting himself by not putting his signature from pen to paper.

FINE

Connor Barth: Kicker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the few notable players that got the job done for Tampa Bay in 2011 was kicker Connor Barth. The man was good on almost 93 percent of his attempts and 17 were made from 40-plus yards out.

Looking toward 2012, the Bucs' situation with Barth is eerily similar to what Jacksonville is going through with Josh Scobee. The only difference is that Tampa has their offense intact. According to Tampa Bay Online, Barth has made himself seen but without signature at the moment:

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Barth showed up for the Buccaneers' first voluntary offseason practice Tuesday, but not to work out or sign a new contract.

Barth was not available for comment Tuesday, but [Mark] Dominik said negotiations aimed at signing Barth to a long-term deal are ongoing.

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In a division that lacks consistency on defense, you can anticipate Tampa Bay putting up some impressive numbers in 2012. Vincent Jackson will produce well off the play-action as rookie back Doug Martin follows guard Carl Nicks in the trenches.

There won't be many long field goal attempts by the Bucs this season so if Barth wants to be on a potential playoff team, he needs to get on board soon.

FINE

Michael Griffin: Safety, Tennessee Titans

Despite not having signed his tender, Titans' safety Michael Griffin is still doing work with his teammates. According to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, Griffin signed a waiver in late April that allows him to partake in the offseason schedule.

Put aside cornerback Cortland Finnegan being out of the Titans' equation, and this is an interesting situation. Griffin is displaying impressive leadership qualities by going the waiver route while a deal remains to get in place.

Tennessee needs Griffin's production to keep the secondary afloat. Having recorded 17 picks and defended 44 passes in his career, Griffin's presence in Cover 1, 2 and 3 for the Titans helps take pressure off the front seven.

With Tennessee having to face some tough ball-carriers this season, Griffin will be called upon to play more in the box as defending the run is the Titans' weakness. 

SIGN

Drew Brees: QB, New Orleans Saints

Even if all the bounty-gate stuff never were to occur, the New Orleans Saints' 2012 season would still be in jeopardy as the teams' success is predicated off quarterback Drew Brees.

Unfortunately, don't expect anything to happen soon because according to Mike Triplett of The Times-Picayune, it's going to be a while:

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The two sides may wait until the final hour before the July 16 NFL deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals. Nobody has picked up the phone for more than a month to resuscitate talks, and there's no indication either side will reach out in the near future.

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Last season, the Saints defense still ranked No. 30 against the pass which cost them in the postseason. But if Brees is not under center, New Orleans will be lucky to finish 8-8. With him last season, the running game was stellar because of the passing game's efficiency, and the Saints just outscored everyone.

The defense isn't going to slow anyone down in 2012 and the ground game won't produce without a strong aerial assault. Brees' presence alone is needed for the Big Easy, because opponents won't be able to control the tempo as New Orleans works quickly each possession.

SIGN

John Rozum on Twitter.